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A car or automobile is a wheeled passenger vehicle that carries its own motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for between one and six people, typically have four wheels and be constructed principally for the transport of people rather than goods. This definition includes cars and smaller SUVs - but not motorcycles, buses, trucks or vans. The term automobile is derived from Greek 'auto-' ("self") and Latin 'mobilis' ("movable"), referring to the fact that it "moves by itself".

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The De Lorean DMC-12 is an American sports car that was manufactured by the De Lorean Motor Company from 1981 to 1983 in Northern Ireland. It is most commonly known simply as the De Lorean, as it was the only model ever produced by the company. The DMC-12 featured gull-wing doors with a fiberglass "underbody", to which non-structural brushed stainless steel panels are affixed. A De Lorean was featured as a homemade time machine in the Back to the Future trilogy.

The first prototype appeared in March 1977, and production officially began in 1981 (with the first DMC-12 rolling off the production line on January 21) at the DMC factory in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland. During its production, several aspects of the car were changed, such as the hood (bonnet) style, wheels and interior. About nine thousand DMC-12s were made before production stopped in late 1982. Today, about 6,500 DeLorean Motor Cars are believed to still exist. (more...)

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Toyota 2000GT

Did you know...

...that the racing version of the Dauer 962 Le Mans, winner of 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans, is a roadcar converted from a Porsche 962 racecar, which dominated Le Mans, Group C and IMSA during the 1980s.
...that the 25 Millionth VW Golf rolled off the production line in Wolfsburg in March 2007. The first Golf started production in 1974, 33 years later the 1.4 litre TSI version became the 25 Millionth car.
...that the nearly identical Ford Model T engines were produced for exactly 12,000 days, making this the longest-produced engine?
...that the first production turbocharged cars were General Motors' A-body 1962 Chevrolet Corvair and Oldsmobile F-85?
...that Jeep introduced the 1993 Grand Cherokee and 2007 Wrangler in the same way — by driving them through a plate glass window?
...that a small number of Renault 20s, badged as Dacia 2000, were made in the 1980s by Dacia in Romania for Romanian communist dignitaries of that time?
...that the Autobianchi Primula was the Fiat's first automobile with the front-wheel drive, transverse engine setup and rack and pinion steering?
...that the Plymouth Sundance is a liftback, even though the outside appearance might suggest that it is a sedan?

Main categories

Category:Automobiles

Car news

Report:Chinese company Geely to buy Volvo brand from Ford Motor Co.

2009-06-22

Geely will invest about $10 billion in Volvo and will produce a new vehicle with a Volvo badge in China. It also indicates the deal will only be made public when (and if, given Geely's track record of inking deals to make cars) the automakers can agree on technology transfers. Source: [1]

Selected biography

Nicolaus Otto

Nicolaus August Otto (June 14, 1832 Holzhausen, Nassau - January 26, 1891 Cologne) was the German inventor of the internal-combustion engine, the first engine to burn fuel directly in a piston chamber. Up until his invention, all engines were external-combustion engines and fuel was burned in a separate compartment.

In 1864, Otto co-founded an engine manufacturing business in Cologne. Along with his business partner Eugen Langen he established “N.A. Otto & Cie.”. This company exists today as “Deutz AG”, who boasts the fact that they are the world's oldest engine manufacturers, with over 140 years of experience. (more...)

On this day July 1

1992 — Ford Motor Company completes its acquisition of 50% of AutoAlliance International from Mazda and takes over operations of the plant.

1997 — The Lincoln Navigator luxury SUV is introduced

Selected quote

When you drive from Melbourne to Broken Hill, as I did recently, you find you want to do it in a bigger, more comfortable car. If consumers bought what they wanted to buy there would always be (plenty) who would buy a full-size car.

—Denny Mooney